Taken
by SWWoman
Summary: Alistair Wesley has returned to New York, but not to commit a new crime. His daughter has been kidnapped, and he needs the help of Team Machine to get her back. Not only does our team have their hands full finding the missing girl, but they have a dangerous operative who will do anything to get his daughter back to keep under control. A case fic with lots of Careese.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm back! This is my 46th story, can you believe it?**

**This fic is a sequel of sorts to my previous story "Diamonds Are Not a Girl's Best Friend." To recap that story: Alistair Wesley, from the episode Critical, returns to New York and kidnaps Joss in order to prevent John interfering in his plans to rob the Diamond Exchange of millions of dollars in diamonds. Joss escapes the cage where Wesley is holding her and Team Machine is able to stop the robbery and recover the diamonds. Unfortunately they had no evidence against Wesley that would hold up in court and are unable to arrest him. John confronts Wesley at the airport and orders him to never return to New York. This story picks up about a year after that.**

**I do need to throw some love at my beta, Wolfmusic218. Thank you for your help in getting this ready to post!**

* * *

Chapter 1

John cheered as Taylor caught the pass and drove up the middle for a perfectly executed lay-up. Joss was on her feet screaming encouragement to her boy, even though there was no way she could be heard over all the noise in the gym as Marbury High's Junior Varsity basketball team inched ahead of their biggest rival, Cardinal Wilhelm Christian. Joss sat back down, but she was so excited over Taylor's excellent showing in one of the biggest games of the season that she was nearly vibrating. She squeezed his arm in excitement as Marbury stole the ball back and charged down the court to their basket.

John's mood grew a bit pensive as he looked around the gym. Sitting with his wife while watching the boy he considered his son play basketball for his school was so normal, so _domestic_. It was something he never thought he would be able to do. It was something other, more normal, people did. He marveled that he had a family that accepted him for what he was, something he would never take for granted. Something that he would fight tooth and nail to keep…

"Only you could brood in the middle of the big game!" Joss's voice cut into his reverie. He looked over her to see her smiling at him. He gave her a sheepish grin in return and turned his attention back to the game.

* * *

Alistair Wesley stood on the sidewalk outside the 8th precinct studying the brick building while ignoring the people who hurried around him. With a grim expression he muttered, "Better get to it then," and he walked confidently up the steps and into the building.

The uniformed officer sitting at the Information window eyed the well-dressed stranger approaching him. The 8th wasn't in the worst part of the city, but it wasn't in the best either, and Wesley's Savile Row suit stood out. The officer idly wondered if this were some fancy new attorney coming to bail out a client.

"Good morning constable," Wesley greeted the officer politely, turning on his considerable charm. "I was wondering if I might have a word with Detective Carter? Is she available?"

"Why, you suing her?" the unimpressed uniform responded.

Wesley smiled his most reassuring smile. "Dear me, no. I'm not a barrister. I would like to discuss a case with her."

The uniformed officer made an "um hum" noise and picked up the phone next to his elbow. He punched a couple of numbers on the keypad and waited for a few seconds. "Hey, Carter, there's some British guy down here wanting to see you. Says he wants to discuss a case. Says he's not an ambulance chaser." He paused, listening to her answer and then hung up.

"She says she'll see you," he growled. He handed Wesley a Visitor's Badge. "Keep this on your person at all times. Up the stairs, turn left."

Wesley clipped the badge to his suit coat and walked up the stairs. He turned left at the landing as directed and found himself at the entrance to an open office area with several desks, half of which were currently occupied. He spotted Carter at her desk over by the wall, with her partner Detective Fusco sitting at a desk facing her.

He strode across the room and seated himself in the chair in front of Carter's desk. She looked up and her eyes went wide when she recognized him, then narrowed to slits. "YOU!" She hissed.

"Good morning, Detective," he replied calmly. "Pleasure to see you again."

"The pleasure is all yours," Carter snarled, her voice as hard and frigid as ice. "Didn't John tell you to stay out of New York?"

"He did, but events have conspired to pull me back against my will. I assure you, my return to your city was involuntary."

"What are you doing here?" Fusco snapped as he moved to stand behind and to one side of Wesley.

Wesley turned his head to look at Fusco, being careful to leave his hands in full view on his lap. He saw Fusco's hand in his pocket. "I believe the joke is, 'Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?'"

Fusco snorted. "I ain't happy to see ya, so let's go with option one. Keep those hands right where they are and answer the lady's questions."

Wesley returned his attention to Carter, who was still staring daggers at him."I assure you I am not here to hurt you or anyone else. I am here purely out of desperation," Wesley spoke softly.

Joss looked him directly in his eyes and saw not the cold and calculating operative she had seen last time they spoke, but a desperate man. Joss regarded him carefully. She was well aware of who he was and what atrocities he was capable of. After their last encounter, Finch had researched him extensively in preparation for the day he would return. This man had stolen without remorse, tortured without mercy, and killed without conscience. He had done it all not for some noble cause, but to enrich himself. Yet, here he had dropped all pretense and was letting her see the man behind the former secret agent. She shuddered to think of what had driven such a man to desperation.

"Please," he said. "My daughter has been kidnapped and I need John Reese's help to get her back."

* * *

Wesley entered the small pub where he had first met John Reese when he had threatened Dr. Enright and her wife several years ago. Carter and Fusco followed close behind, with Fusco's hand still discreetly gripping his gun in his coat pocket. John Reese and Sameen Shaw were already sitting at a table waiting for them.

"Where's Root?" Joss asked as she took her seat.

John's jaw tightened. He still did not trust the hacker for hire, but Finch said she was reformed, so he tolerated having her around. Barely. "She's working a number we got this morning, a runaway."

"Sameen Shaw, I had heard that you had left Northern Lights," Wesley nodded towards Shaw as he took his seat.

Shaw, who was gnawing her way through a pile of French fries smothered with gravy and cheese, paused to regard the former British agent with what can only be described as a "hairy eyeball." "Who's the douche muffin?"

"Cheeky little imp, isn't she?" Wesley deadpanned.

Shaw looked like she was about to make a move when John laid a gentle hand on her arm. "Joss said your daughter was kidnapped?"

The effect on Wesley was barely perceptible, but it was immediate. His shoulders slumped just a tiny bit and he suddenly looked exhausted. John couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the man in front of him.

Wesley reached into his briefcase and pulled a picture of a smiling young woman of college age. She had her father's blue eyes, blonde hair, and slender build. She was quite pretty in a vanilla girl-next-door sort of way.

"My daughter Theresa," Wesley said. "In an attempt to keep my personal life separate from my professional endeavors, my family uses the name Sheppard, my mother's maiden name. Theresa was a difficult child in a lot of ways, always breaking the rules, always asking why the rules were there to begin with. She reminded me a lot of me at her age,: rebellious, intelligent, stubborn, and over-confident. Despite her difficult nature, my wife and I cherished her. I am fortunate that my activities allowed me to give her everything she could want.

"Theresa has been attending Fordham University here in New York for the last couple of years, returning home for holidays and summers. She's been getting top marks and seemed happy here.

"Yesterday, an email was sent to my personal account. This account is only used for family communications, even my closest colleagues don't have it, and so the sender had to have gotten the address from Theresa. They said they were holding Theresa prisoner and would return her to me in pieces if a ransom was not paid by Friday, seventeen hundred hours local time. I immediately took the next plane to New York."

"Theresa has a small flat near the campus. I let myself in and I found this on the kitchen table."

Wesley pushed a small box over to John. John picked up the box and opened while Sam, Joss and Lionel all looked over his shoulder. When they saw what was in the box they gasped.

Nestled in the box in a bed of cotton was a severed human finger.

"These guys aren't playing around," Sam commented as she examined the contents of the box. "Pinkie finger, feminine, looks young. Could be Theresa's."

"It's a warning to me," Wesley's voice was flat and emotionless, but his hands were clenched into fists on table in front of him. "They are showing me how serious they are."

"They knew you would come," John said.

Wesley nodded. "Now you see why I need your team. You know who I am and what I do, thus you know what my enemies are capable of."

"Why Theresa though?" Joss asked. John could see the wheels turning in her head. "Surely there are easier marks. Lots of families with money send their kids to school here in New York, why pick out the child of a highly skilled and successful covert agent? There are easier pickings."

"I've thought a lot about that, Detective. I am well aware that New York is full of potential victims. I can only say that this is most likely reprisal for some action of mine in the past."

"Was there anything in the email that indicated who might have written it?"

"No, the wording was very generic."

"We'll need a copy of that email," John said.

Wesley nodded. "Of course, but I assure you I've already had some of the foremost computer scientists in the world look at it. It's a dead end."

John smiled. "Our computer scientist is better. Trust me. We'll also need the key to Theresa's apartment."

Wesley handed over the key. "What's our first move?"

"Your first move is to go back to your hotel and wait, they may try to contact you again,"

"I'm not one to wait," Wesley growled.

"I know you're not," Joss said sympathetically. "But you know as well I as I do that you're too emotionally invested in this case. I can't have an enraged father with Special Forces skills running around my city. If you want our help, you do it my way or no way."

There was an intense staredown between Joss and Wesley while the rest of the team waited patiently. Finally, Wesley's shoulders slumped. "Alright detective, we'll do it your way. For now." Wesley got up and left.

"How long do you think he'll cool his heels at the hotel?" Fusco asked.

Shaw snorted, "Two hours max. We'd better get moving before he starts getting in our way."

John held up the key Wesley had given him and turned to Joss. "Shall we?"

Joss grinned. "Like Shaw said, we better get moving."

"I'll take the World's Deadliest Midget and talk to Theresa's boyfriend and professors," Fusco grunted.

"That leaves us to search Theresa's apartment," John said as he took his wife's hand and led her out of the pub.

"Call me 'midget' one more time and I'll show you deadly," Shaw snarled at Fusco.

Fusco just grinned at her. "Come on, you know I was just busting your chops. I'll even let you drive."

"You drive a city-issued Buick, that's hardly a privilege," Shaw groused. But she snatched the keys from him and stalked out of the pub. Fusco managed to suppress his laughter as he followed her out to the car.

* * *

John and Joss let themselves into Theresa's apartment with the key Wesley had given them. "Must be different for you to use a key instead of picking he locks," Joss teased her husband as they entered the apartment.

John smirked at her. "Don't get used to it."

Joss giggled and stepped into the bedroom while John searched the living room/kitchen. She opened the closet, frowned and tapped her earpiece. "Hey Fusco, Sam, when you talk to Theresa's friends, ask if she had any sources of income and any allowance that Wesley gave her."

"What did you find?" Fusco asked.

"A closet full of designer clothes and accessories," Joss replied.

Shaw snorted. "Her old man is loaded. I'm not surprised."

Joss shook her head even though Shaw couldn't see her. "No, Theresa's a college student, not much older than Taylor. This looks like Zoe Morgan's wardrobe, not one of Taylor's friends. I know how college students dress and they don't wear Versace cocktail dresses to class. There's no reason for her to have this many designer dresses. It looks like she goes out every night to high-end bars and clubs."

"Sounds like a waste to me." Joss could hear the shrug in Shaw's voice.

"That's because you own one dress," Fusco's voice chided her.

Joss could hear Shaw's yawn. "It's a little black dress. That's all you need."

Deciding she just wasn't up to listening to another squabble between Fusco and Shaw, Joss sighed and cut the connection. She searched the rest of the bedroom, finding more high-end clothing and accessories. She noticed the bedding was expensive silk as well. Opening a drawer. She discovered a box for a FitBit.

Just as she was finishing up John walked into the bedroom with Theresa's laptop under his arm. "Did you find anything?" he asked.

Joss held up the box for the fitness tracker. "Finch might be able to track this. It's not here, so Theresa might have it with her. You?"

"I found these in a hidden drawer in Theresa's desk." He held out his hand to show her several flash drives.

"What's on them?" Joss asked.

John shrugged. "They're encrypted. They shouldn't give Finch any trouble though."

"I'm done here, let's get them and the FitBit box to Finch." John followed her out the door and down to John's car. They climbed in and John eased the car out into traffic. "

"Don't you find it strange that the Machine never gave us Theresa's number?" John asked.

Joss frowned. "That's a good point. Maybe the kidnappers aren't planning to kill her?"

John didn't look convinced. "They left a severed finger behind, that's a pretty clear threat."

"Could there be something wrong with the Machine? Another virus?"

"It's possible I guess. One thing I've learned doing this job, is that anything is possible."

They were silent for the rest of the drive to the library.

* * *

**This fic is done, I'm just working on final edits. I'm really busy at work, so I'll be posting once a week. There will be 7 chapters.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry, I meant to post this earlier, but I was traveling for business this week**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Upon their arrival at the library, John and Joss were surprised to find Fusco and Shaw were already there.

"You interviewed Theresa's professors already?" Joss asked in surprise.

Shaw shrugged. "There aren't any to interview, she never registered for classes this semester. Or last semester."

"What?" Joss's eyes were wide.

"It would appear that Wesley doesn't know his not-so-darling daughter as well as he thought he did," Fusco grunted. "She dropped out completely. We did manage to find her ex, but he hasn't seen her in months. For which he was grateful. Apparently her pretty face covers up the empathy of a rock and the temperament of a constipated honey badger."

"He thought she might have been seeing someone else, but he was just glad it wasn't him," Shaw added. "Basically, all the information Wesley gave us is at least six months to a year out of date."

"He does live on the other side of an ocean…." Fusco's voice trailed off.

Joss frowned. "You don't believe that's all this is, do you?"

Fusco shook his head. "No, I don't. Theresa has been hiding plenty from her old man. You know that's a big-ass red flag."

Before Joss could reply, Finch turned around from his computer. "I've found something!"

"What is it?" Reese asked as the group gathered around him.

"I've found security camera footage of what I believe is Theresa Sheppard's kidnapping," Finch replied. "While the perpetrators were careful to disable the cameras in Ms. Sheppard's building, fortunately for us they did not think to disable the cameras of the building next door." Finch paused to tap a few keys and the screen in front of him came alive with several camera feeds. "The building next door has a gaming store on the first floor. It's had a rash of recent thefts recently, so they upgraded their security system to cover a good portion of the block."

"Never thought we'd be grateful for under-aged sticky fingers," Shaw muttered.

"Indeed, Ms. Shaw. Thanks to those budding miscreants, we now have pictures of Ms. Sheppard's abductors…right…there." With a few keystrokes, video from the security cameras appeared on the screen.

The team watched as Theresa Sheppard walked through the frame, in between two men who each had a grip on one of her arms. They walked through the view of one camera, then another, and then into a third where they got into a large black SUV.

"Can you get us a license plate?" John asked.

Finch shook his head. "I tried, but the camera's resolution simply isn't good enough. I could, however, get enhanced pictures of the men." He pulled a couple of pieces of paper out of the printer and handed them to Joss and Lionel.

Joss scowled in recognition at the pictures in front of her. John lifted an eyebrow, he knew that look. "What is it?"

Joss held up the pictures so he could see them. "These men work for Elias."

He blinked in surprise. "Are you sure? Kidnapping goes against your agreement with him."

Joss huffed and gave him a nod. "Yeah, I'm sure. I've seen them hanging out around the warehouse he uses as a headquarters."

"Sounds like you need to give your favorite crime lord a friendly visit," Shaw commented.

"On my way," Joss turned towards the stairs.

John quickly stepped in front of her. "You're not going in there by yourself. I'm coming with you."

Joss rolled her eyes. "You better not antagonize Marconi this time."

John gave her his most innocent look. "Who me?"

Joss glared at him and made for the exit with a smirking John following behind.

* * *

John pulled up to the warehouse Elias used as the headquarters for his criminal empire and parked. Several men were lounging by the doorway, pretending to be on a smoke break, but both John and Joss knew they were heavily armed.

"I don't suppose I can talk you into waiting in the car?" Joss sighed.

"Nope."

"Fine, but no Alpha Male pissing contests with Marconi or you're sleeping on the couch," Joss huffed.

John smirked at his wife. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Joss shot him a dirty look and got out of the car. John followed closely behind, knowing the only way he was getting access to Elias's inner sanctum was because he was with Joss.

"Afternoon, Detective," one of the men greeted Joss, ignoring John.

Joss nodded to the man as she breezed by. John pretended to ignore the men, while covertly watching them for any funny business. He knew Elias's sense of honor would not allow anyone to harm the woman who saved his life, but John never took chances where Joss was concerned. However, Elias's men behaved. They all knew of their boss's fondness for the detective and none of them were foolhardy enough to incur his wrath by doing anything rash.

They were met just inside the door by Anthony Marconi, Carl Elias's right-hand man. "Joss, the boss will be happy to see you, it's been too long," he greeted her with a smile. He looked past her to see John. "Still hanging with this loser, I see."

Joss bristled at the insult to John, then her expression turned saccharine sweet. "Every night," she purred. Marconi looked disgruntled at her sexy tone, while John looked smug. "Is Carl in?" she asked sweetly.

Marconi waved his hand towards the back of the warehouse. "Yeah, he's in his office," his voice gruff.

"Thanks, I know the way." Joss walked away briskly. With a smile at Marconi, John followed her. He could feel Marconi's glare on his back, but he didn't turn around. He loved to poke at Marconi, but he loved it even more when Joss was the one who did the poking.

Joss lead the way towards the office in the back corner of the warehouse, the furthest away from the street. With a nod to the man guarding the office entrance, Joss tapped on the door and walked in.

Elias was sitting behind a large desk in the luxurious office. His face lit up when he saw who his visitor was. "Joss!" He leaped up and came around the massive desk. He grabbed both her hands in his and kissed each cheek. Then he nodded to John. "Let me get you a glass of wine."

"That's not necessary," Joss protested.

"I insist," Elias responded. At the small bar to one side of the room, he poured three glasses of a ruby red Chianti and handed Joss and John each a glass, taking the third for himself.

"Now then, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?" he asked as he settled himself back in his chair, while John and Joss took the chairs across the desk.

Joss took an appreciative sip of her wine. There were advantages to having Carl Elias in your debt.

John also politely sipped his wine while watching Joss. He was mesmerized by how the wine stained her rich, full lips blood red and the small smile of appreciation she had after tasting the red liquid. He could see Elias was also watching her closely.

Joss handed Elias the pictures of the men who had taken Theresa Sheppard. "I need to find these men and I know they work for you."

Elias looked at the pictures and shook his head, "Rocco Bersani and Roberto Formisano. They are my men, but no one has seen them for several days."

"They're AWOL?" John asked in surprise. Elias's men were usually extremely loyal. He set an example by being very loyal and considerate of his employees and they repaid him for it with their own unwavering allegiance.

"Unfortunately, yes," Elias replied. "They haven't carried out their normal assignments. They haven't responded to our calls. I have people looking for them as we speak."

"What are their normal assignments?" Joss asked.

"Money running from my betting operations in the Bronx. They had a regular route they were to run every morning. They also provided some back up for other operations as needed."

Joss and John glanced at each, other; the Bronx was where Fordham University was located and where Theresa lived just off-campus.

"How long has it been since they've been in contact?"

"Two days. They performed their collections duties one day then didn't show up the next."

John and Joss looked at each other. They both knew why Bersani and Formisano had not shown up for the work the next day- that was the day Theresa had been taken.

Joss handed Elias the picture of his two men marching Theresa to the black SUV. Elias studied it wordlessly for several minutes. His mouth was pinched into a fine line and his eyes were hard as glass. "Who's the girl?" he finally asked.

"Theresa Sheppard, student at Fordham," Joss replied as she studied the crime boss closely. "She was kidnapped two days ago. Her father has received a ransom demand."

Elias shook his head as he handed back the picture. "I assure you, my dear Joss, that I did not break our agreement. These men were acting on their own. Once these men are found, the punishment will be quite harsh."

"Just turn them over to me," Joss replied sipping her wine. "I need to know where this girl is, they've already left her father a finger."

Elias's eyebrows shot up. "That's unnecessarily brutal."

"You can see why I need them."

"You'll get first crack at them, I promise." Elias drained his glass.

Joss and John took their leave and made their way back to their car. Joss was surprised to see Alistair Wesley lounging against their vehicle, arms crossed, and legs crossed at the ankle. His posture suggested that he was relaxed, but they could see the tenseness in his face that belied his seemingly casual pose.

"I thought you said we weren't being followed!" Joss hissed at John as they approached the car.

"We weren't," John said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a GPS tracking device and tossed it to the British operative. "I assume this belongs to you. Found it under the front bumper."

Wesley caught it deftly and placed it in his own pocket.

Joss was furious. "You bugged us!" she snarled.

Wesley merely shrugged. "My daughter's life is at stake. I do not have the time or inclination to be polite." He eyed the front door to Elias's domain and the men guarding it. "So those men worked for Carl Elias?" He inquired casually.

Joss was not fooled. "They did, but he has nothing to do with your daughter's disappearance," she snapped. "Don't even think about going after him. I don't want any wars on my turf."

Wesley looked down his nose at the detective. "What makes you so sure?"

Joss narrowed her eyes. "He says he didn't."

Wesley gave Joss a nasty smirk. "Really, Detective? Taking the word of the man who kidnapped your own son and threatened your life?"

Joss was unmoved. "He doesn't lie to me."

Wesley sneered. "Now what would convince someone like yourself to believe a man such as Elias? I hear he is quite charismatic. Perhaps you wish your relationship with him wasn't quite so platonic?"

Wesley never saw the blow coming. Joss landed a perfect right hook squarely on the smug operative's face and Wesley went down to his knees with a surprised expression on his face and blood on his chin.

"Let's get something straight, _Alistair_," Joss's voice was shaking with anger and she spat out Wesley's name like it was an expletive. "Elias has a sense of honor where you have none, so I'll make this simple: I saved his life, ergo he doesn't lie to me. That's _all_ there is to it. Now, get your ass back to your hotel before I arrest you." Then she stepped around him and got into the car, slamming the door so hard the car rocked side to side.

John knelt down so that he was eye level with Wesley. "If you ever so much as hint at anything like that again, I will kill you. Slowly." Then John got up, got in the car, and they drove away.

"How's your hand?" John asked.

Joss examined her knuckles. "Hurts, but that was so worth it."

John smiled fondly at her. "As Shaw would say, 'that was hot.'"

Finch's voice cut in "I need everyone back HQ, I, um, have something."


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! I'm glad everyone enjoyed Joss decking Wesley. I should gave a shout to to elev for suggesting it while I was writing this.**

**Not that I think anyone minds, but there is smut at the end of this chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"Now what?" Lionel demanded when everyone was assembled at the library. "Were you able to track that FitBit?"

"No, the device appears to be turned off. I was unable to track it, but I have an alert set in case she is able to turn it back on." Finch squirmed. "I found something on the flash drives…something disturbing. I…think I should show you."

A few keystrokes later, the video came up on the screen and the team's eyes widened at what they saw.

Theresa was having hot, wild, sex with a man who looked old enough to be her father. A man who looked very familiar. The team stared with open mouths and wide eyes. "Was she a gymnast?" Shaw asked in an awed voice. "I didn't know the human body could bend like that."

"Isn't that Senator Collins?" Fusco asked.

Finch nodded. "The family values Senator who once said that adulterers should be jailed? Yes."

"So much for family values," Joss commented. "Is this the only porn?"

Finch shook his head. "No, she apparently, um, dated the senator several times. She also has several other wealthy, influential men in compromising positions. I've found evidence she was blackmailing several prominent citizens, including the senator."

"This puts a whole new spin on Theresa's disappearance," Joss said thoughtfully.

"It may not be directed at Wesley, it may be directed at Theresa herself," John finished the thought for her. "I'll need a list of the men she blackmailed."

"We are in luck there, Mr. Reese. At least one of Theresa's victims was represented by our friend Zoe Morgan."

John pulled out his phone, about to call Zoe, when Shaw placed a hand over his. "I'll call Zoe."

John looked at Shaw in confusion while Joss chortled. Shaw rolled her eyes. "Trust me, it's better this way."

* * *

Shaw was chowing down on a double cheeseburger with double chili cheese fries when Zoe entered the restaurant and sat down. She looked around. "Where's John?' she asked, while feigning nonchalance.

Shaw snorted. "You're not fooling anyone."

Zoe pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Shaw rolled her eyes. "Joss is a homicide cop, do you know how many ways she knows how to kill a person and hide a body? Keep sniffing around her man, you'll find out."

Zoe huffed in annoyance and flopped back in her seat. "Fine, what do you want?"

"Information, the usual," Shaw replied. She passed Zoe a picture of Theresa Sheppard.

Zoe's nose wrinkled in distaste. "I know her. Who's she blackmailing now?"

"She's missing."

"Figures," Zoe sniffed handing the photo back to Shaw. "I knew she was going to piss off the wrong person eventually. She was far too arrogant. And amateur."

"How much did she get out of your client?"

"100K."

Shaw raised an eyebrow. "Not bad for an amateur."

"My client just wanted her to go away, but her security precautions were crap. I could've had her snuffed for half that…" Zoe squirmed under Shaw's harsh glare. "Not that I would do that, I don't do wet work."

"Of course not, you don't get your hands dirty," Shaw said sweetly. "Why do you say her security precautions were crap?"

"She had no backup. No muscle."

"That you saw."

"Oh please, this isn't my first time up to bat."

Shaw grinned wickedly. "Yes Zoe, you're a VERY a seasoned professional." Zoe sniffed at the implication she was getting old. "Did she ever contact you again?"

"Nope, she was professional enough to keep her promises at least."

Shaw munched thoughtfully on her fries. "So, she was a professional blackmailer."

Zoe stole a fry off Shaw's plate and crammed it in her mouth. "I heard things through the grapevine, there aren't very many of us who do this kind of work. She was preying on some very powerful people. Very powerful people who could be very dangerous when backed into a corner."

"I've seen some evidence of that," Shaw replied. "What was her M.O.?"

Zoe sniffed. "She wasn't very original. She's young and gorgeous, so all she had to was put herself someplace where she could be seen. I've pegged her at six charity galas in the past year. She also would have a few drinks at bars and night clubs where the rich and powerful gather. She'd wait for someone with money to approach her, then take them home, and fuck their brains out."

Zoe stole another fry. "The men think they're bedding an innocent woman who is awed by their power and money. I have it on good authority that she's an ace in the sack. My client said she was the best he ever had, and he's had plenty. Trust me on this, I've extracted him from numerous situations."

Shaw took a bite and chewed her burger thoughtfully. "So, she reels them in with looks and fake innocence, screws 'em blind, then blackmails them."

"Yup, oldest trick in the book, it works like a charm in the right hands. Apparently, Theresa has talented hands." Zoe stole another fry.

"You're going to lose a hand if you keep that up," Shaw growled.

"It's my fee," Zoe shot back. "Finch never pays me."

Shaw's phone buzzed and she looked down to see a text message from Root, _Hey sweetie I could use your help on the missing runaway._

"Gotta go," Shaw said as she pushed the remains of the plate over to Zoe. "Knock yourself out."

Zoe watched her go and then started nibbling on the fries again. She was going to have to spend an extra hour in the gym tomorrow to make up for this, but the chili was damn good.

The waitress slapped the check in front of Zoe. "Pay at the register," she said curtly.

Zoe groaned. "That little sh—"

* * *

As Shaw was meeting with Zoe Morgan, Joss and Fusco presented themselves at the expensive townhome that served as the home of Senator Collins. The man who answered the door looked down his noses at the two detectives. "I doubt the Senator wants to see you," he loftily informed them.

Joss smiled sweetly. "Let the Senator know that we have Theresa Sheppard's files. We'll wait."

The man went a bit pale at that. "All of her files?"

"Allllll," Joss drawled in response.

The man scurried off.

"I love it when you do that," Fusco grinned.

Joss gave him a wink. "Truth be told, so do I."

The man returned. "The Senator will see you."

"How kind of him," Joss remarked dryly.

They followed him to an office near the back of the house where the Senator was sitting behind a large, impressive-looking desk. They took seat across from him while his man took a chair off to one side. Fusco looked from the Senator to the man then back again.

Collins noted Fusco's look. "My aide, Steven. You may speak freely in front of him, he knows all about my…relationship with Miss Sheppard."

"Alright then," Joss casually placed her phone on the corner of the Senator's desk so that Finch and John could listen in. "Theresa Sheppard went missing from her apartment yesterday. She was observed being escorted from her place by two men who were known mobsters. Her father has received a ransom demand."

Collins barely blinked. Joss tilted her to one side and regarded him. "You don't seem surprised."

The Senator shook his head. "I'm not really. Theresa was a whore and a blackmailer. People like her do tend to come to bad ends."

"May I remind you that you slept with that whore, several times?" Joss replied coolly.

The Senator glared at her. "Do not presume to judge me. I can have you fired with one phone call," he sneered.

Joss and Fusco burst out laughing.

"Oh God, they ALWAYS say that!" Fusco gasped.

Joss wiped her eyes. "How many times have we heard that one?"

"Too many to count," Fusco shook his head.

"Look, we get it," Joss addressed the stunned Senator. "You know this can destroy your political career. We have no interest in dragging you, our only goal is to find Theresa before she's harmed. The faster we can do that, the less likely it is that your part in all this gets out.

"Now you can help us wrap this case as quickly as possible or you can threaten and stonewall us so that the case drags out. Which will look really bad if this hits the press. Remember Gary Condit*?"

Collins rolled his eyes. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

"The usual," Fusco grunted. "How did you meet? When did she start asking for money?"

The Senator started talking. As it turned out, Zoe Morgan had accurately described Theresa's M.O. He had met her at a thousand-dollar-a-plate political fundraiser. He had no idea how she got in,, she must have known someone. He had been taken in by her beauty and innocence and before he knew it, they were having an intense affair. The Senator swore it was his first. (Fusco coughed a cough that sounded speciously like "Bullshit" to Joss.) After a few weeks, he received a video of one of their more energetic sex sessions from Theresa along with a message demanding 100,000 dollars. He paid in full and never heard from her again.

"Did you ever suspect that Theresa might be working with someone?" Joss asked.

Collins shook his head. "She was good. In the beginning, she made me think I was the center of her world and there was no one else."

"In the beginning?" Joss asked

"She…changed," Collins replied. "Once she had me hooked and reeled in, she became demanding, nasty."

"Do you know of anyone who might have wanted to hurt Theresa?" Fusco asked.

Again , Collins shook his head. "I'm going to assume I'm not the only person she blackmailed, but she never mentioned that she was afraid for her safety or acted like she was scared of anyone."

"Thank you Senator, that will be all for now. Please don't leave New York." Joss said as she and Fusco stood up to leave.

The senator looked sober. "Congress is in recess right now, so I will stay put." Then he sighed. "Look, I know I'm a suspect in her disappearance, but I haven't heard from her in months. If I were going to do something, I would have done it before I paid her 100K."

"Thank you for your time, we'll be in touch if we need anything else,' Fusco said and he and Joss left.

Once they got into their car, Fusco turned to Joss. "What do you think?"

"He's not involved," Joss replied. "He's right,, if he were going to make a move, he would have done it when she asked for the money, not waited for several months."

"Another dead end," Fusco grumbled. "We're running out of leads and time."

Joss pulled out the list of Theresa's blackmail victims. "We still have several so-called upstanding citizens to interview. We'd better get moving."

* * *

It was late when John dragged himself home to the apartment he shared with Joss and Taylor. He tossed his keys on the table in the entry table next to Joss's. He figured he'd get a few hours of sleep and then return to looking for Theresa Shepard. So far, all the men she had blackmailed were turning into dead ends. The pace of the investigation was frustrating to him: the clock was ticking.

John paused when he noticed a light coming from under Taylor's door. A quick check of his watch confirmed that the teen was up past his usual bedtime. John tapped on the door and then entered his stepson's room.

Taylor was sitting at his desk typing on his laptop when John entered the room. "Hey, John," he greeted his stepfather.

"You're up late," John commented as he leaned against the door frame.

"Almost done here," Taylor replied. "This is due tomorrow and if I don't get it on time, I can't play in the game Friday."

John frowned "I'm sorry, I probably won't make the game Friday."

"S'ok, you've there more than most of the parents," Taylor grinned at him.

"I'll catch the next one."

"Deal," Taylor responded.

"Get to bed," John gently ordered the teen.

"Done here in ten minutes," Taylor responded. "Night, John."

"Night, son," John replied as he turned to walk down the hall into the master bedroom.

Joss was sitting up in bed, reading when John entered the bedroom. "Is Taylor still up? I was about to go check on him."

John nodded then bent to kiss her. "He says he'll be done with his homework in just a few minutes. I told him I couldn't make it to the game Friday night."

"I'm sure he understands, John. You saved his life once, he knows how important your work is."

John slung his jacket over the back of a chair, removed his shoes, and began unbuttoning his shirt. "I hope he knows he's important to me, too."

Joss smiled, her eyes glued to John as he disrobed. "You show Taylor how important he is to you just about every day.' Her voice dropped down into a husky register, "Now how about you come over here and show me how important I am to you?"

John smirked at his wife as she watched him toss his shirt in the hamper. Without breaking eye contact, he undid his belt and pulled down his pants, freeing his cock. Joss's pupils dilated and the tip of her tongue licked her upper lip. Slowly and deliberately, like a master predator, he crawled over the bed to her. Even though she was clearly his prey, Joss felt a shiver go up her spine at the sight. She could almost orgasm off the intensity of his blue eyes alone. John growled deep in his throat and that nearly did her in.

His lips captured hers in a smoldering kiss that curled her toes. Tonight ,John was in charge. His hand reached up under her shirt and palmed her breast. "You're overdressed, Detective," he purred. Joss was so deep into her lust, that it took several seconds for John's words to sink in. She fumbled for the hem of her t-shirt and somehow managed to lift it up and over her head.

"Much better, good girl," John whispered against her mouth. Joss could only whimper in response as he began to twirl her nipple between his fingers. John's smile was almost feral as he watched her react. "Relax, let me take control tonight."

Joss was more than willing to surrender to him. His lips ghosted over her mouth and along her jawline to her ear. He nipped hard on her earlobe, knowing she loved it and was rewarded with a mewl of pleasure. All the while his hands played with her breasts. His mouth continued to move down her to her chest, nipping, sucking, and kissing along the way.

John's hands were replaced by his mouth as he nipped and sucked on her breasts. His hand moved down to dive under her panties and delicately touch her clitoris.

"John!" she gasped.

She heard him chuckle softly in reply. "You like that?' he purred.

"More," she moaned as she tried to hold his head to her breast

She was unsuccessful. His mouth was on the move again as his finger carefully massaged her sex. His lips traveled down her stomach, planting delicate kisses as Joss's body screamed for more. Somehow, Joss's panties were removed, she was never sure just how John managed that. His mouth descended on her pussy and his talented tongue went to work.

"Don't stop," Joss cried, but it was obvious that John had no intention of stopping. He played her clit like it was the most delicate of musical instruments. Joss arched her back and hissed; she was completely in the moment. Her body felt like it was on fire. She allowed herself to be swept away by the pleasure her husband was giving her until she came gasping his name.

She barely had time to come down off her high when John pinned her down and buried his cock deep in her. Joss wrapped her legs around him and raked her nails down his back. John set a steady pace, pulling back until he was almost completely out, then burying himself deep within her. Joss felt the heat building in her body again.

John buried his face in her neck with a moan. "I'm coming," he gasped out. "Me too," Joss mewled as her world exploded.

When she returned to consciousness. Joss realized that John was still and was laying on top of her. With a groan, he rolled off her. Joss rolled over on her side so she was facing him. She laid her hand on his chest and his hand came up and grasped it.

He turned his head and smiled at her. "Feel important now?"

She giggled. "Like I'm the only woman in the world."

John's eyes were tender as his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her into his side. "To me, you are."

* * *

***Gary Condit was the Congressman who got caught up in the investigation to the disappearance and death of Chandra Levy. Levy, who had just finished up a student internship at the Justice Department in Washington DC, vanished the day before she was to return home to Northern California. During the investigation, it was established that she had an affair with Condit, who represented the district where she and her parents lived. Unfortunately the police bungled the investigation and focused too much on Condit despite the fact he had a solid alibi; he was meeting with the Vice President at the time of Levy's disappearance. The police finally cleared him, but the damage was done, and the media had a field day with the story. Condit lost his reelection bid, and his political career.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning found Shaw joining Wesley and John for breakfast. "I have some good news and I have some bad news," Shaw announced as she sat down. "Did you order me some pancakes?"

"I got you a Denver omelet," John replied, sipping his coffee. "You had pancakes yesterday."

Shaw shrugged. "Omelet works. But for the record I could eat pancakes every day."

"Duly noted," John replied.

Wesley sipped his coffee and rolled his eyes. "Do enlighten us, Ms. Shaw. What is your news?"

John looked closely at the man sitting across the table from him. Wesley was as usual dressed impeccably, but the dark circles under his eyes stood out on his light complexion.

"The finger you found in Theresa's apartment was NOT hers," Shaw announced.

Wesley sucked in a breath, but his eyes were hopeful. "You're sure?"

"DNA testing confirms that you have virtually no markers in common with the donor," Shaw replied as she pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and unfolded it. There were several lines of what looked like ink spots on the page, the ones on the upper half of the paper was marked AW and the other was marked UNK. John was not well versed in the art of reading DNA tests but it obvious that two set of blobs were very different.

"Whoever this poor gal was, she is of Northern European ancestry, with blonde hair and blue eyes like your daughter," Shaw explained as she touched a couple of places on the graph that were marked with blue arrows. "However, had this been Theresa, you should have had more markers in common here, here, and here." Shaw indicated several places where there were red arrows. "Whoever this is, she didn't even have the right blood type."

Wesley buried his face in his hands briefly. Then looked up at Shaw. "Thank you."

Shaw took a huge bite of her omelet, a string of cheese stretching all the way from her fork and mouth to the rest of the food on the plate. "Just the messenger here."

"So what's the bad news?" John asked.

"We don't know who the finger belongs to," Shaw replied through her mouthful. "Our IT guy is running the results through the usual channels, CODIS, military, etc. So far no hits."

* * *

At the same time Wesley was finding out that the finger did not belong to Theresa, Joss and Fusco were getting their coffee on the run. Two bodies matching the descriptions of Elias's missing men had been found in an abandoned building in a blighted neighborhood in Manhattan.

They arrived on scene and showed the uniforms their badge and were promptly admitted to the taped-off area to be greeted by the coroner. "Whatcha got, CeCe?" Fusco grumbled. This case was beginning to piss him off.

"Two Caucasian males, late twenties, shot execution style," she replied. "Think these may be your guys?"

"Let's take a look," Fusco sighed. He had a bad feeling about this.

CeCe led the way to the bodies. They were lying face down on the floor with their hands tied behind their backs and a single bullet wound to the back of their heads. Joss and Fusco pulled on their gloves and squatted down next to the corpses. They rolled over the first body to see the face of Rocco Bersani staring back at them.

Fusco swore. "Well, it explains why they never returned to Elias."

"There goes our best chance to find Theresa," Joss sighed. She stood up and brushed off her hands. "Now what?"

Before Fusco could answer, one of the uniformed officers manning the yellow tape called out to them, "Hey Carter, Fusco! Someone's here to see you!"

Carter and Fusco exited the building to see Elias, Marconi, and another man they didn't recognize standing at the yellow tape. "That was fast," Joss commented sourly.

Fusco shrugged. "We're in his territory. No one takes a crap around here without him knowing."

They peeled off their gloves and walked over to see what the crime lord wanted.

"We heard the call over the police scanner. Is it them?" Elias asked.

Joss nodded. "Sorry, Carl."

Elias shook his head and sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that." He turned to Marconi. "Make sure their next of kin get our usual death benefits package."

"You have _benefits_?" Fusco was shocked.

Elias shrugged. "Competition. One must offer a competitive compensation package if one wants to hire and retain the best."

Fusco had to chuckle.

"Detectives, allow me to introduce you to Vincent Delfino. He was a friend of those poor souls."

Joss and Fusco turned to Delfino who was staring through the open door at the crime scene looking vaguely ill. Delfino blinked and then turned away from the scene, standing with shoulders hunched and hands in his pockets.

"Tell the detectives what you told Tony," Elias prompted gently.

Delfino cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "Roc and Bobby was bragging about a side job they took. They said some dude from Hong Kong paid them to grab some rich blondie from her apartment."

"Hong Kong?" Joss repeated. "How did they know he was from Hong Kong?"

Delfino shrugged. "I don't know no details, that's what they said."

Joss looked at Elias, but the crime lord could only shake his head. "I know what you're going to ask, but no, I haven't heard about any new players in town. However, if they are operating outside my territory, some of the other Dons may not have noticed any intruders. I'm afraid to say some of them have gotten rather lazy. My people are discreetly canvassing that neighborhood, looking for any clues as we speak."

Joss crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "And if they find anything you'll let me know instead of dealing with it yourself?"

Elias smiled serenely. "Of course, the safety of the innocent is paramount. But, once the poor girl is safe…"

Joss sighed and held up her hand. "Don't tell me."

Elias inclined his head. "As you wish, Joss. I'll be in touch." He walked away with Delfino following closely behind. Marconi gave Joss a cocky smile and let his eyes travel down her body like she was a snack before he, too, followed.

Fusco watched Marconi walked away. "I have to agree with John; I wanna to punch him now."

"You and me both," Joss growled.

* * *

Joss and Fusco returned to the precinct to begin the paperwork on the deaths of Formani and Bersani. They had barely sat down at their desks when Joss got another call. "Detective Carter, I hate to bother you," Finch was very apologetic.

"It's OK, Harold, what kind of trouble is John in now?" Joss sighed. She loved her man with a burning passion, but that didn't mean she was blind to his flaws. Bailing him out of trouble was one of her primary duties.

"It's not Mr. Reese or even Ms. Shaw this time, it's Mr. Wesley."

Joss blinked. She was not expecting that.

"I saw him breaking into Senator Collins's home and was forced to call the police. They caught him trespassing in the Senator's backyard. He was less than cooperative with the officers and they justifiably tased him."

Joss buried her face in the hand that was not holding the phone. Fusco looked up from his computer screen and mouthed, "John?" Joss shook her head and mouthed "Wesley" back. Fusco's mouth dropped open.

"Where is he?" Joss asked

"The 12th precinct."

"On my way."

Joss snapped the phone shut.

"What's going on?" Fusco asked.

"Wesley got his interfering butt arrested for loitering outside Senator Collins's. Apparently, he gave the responding officers some lip and got tased for his trouble."

Fusco chortled. "I wish I could have seen that."

Joss smiled. "Yeah, me too. But now I have to go over to the 12th and fetch him."

Fusco snorted. "Just leave him there, he'll be out of our hair."

"No can do, partner." Joss shook her head. "Wesley has the same training John does, with fewer morals. There is no way he's gonna stay put and I don't trust him not to hurt anyone when he breaks out. Cover for me?"

Fusco waved his hand. "No problem, partner."

* * *

Two hours and a lot of string pulling later, Alistair Wesley was delivered into the custody of Detective Carter. "He's all yours Carter," the officer said. "Try and keep him on a shorter leash, will ya?"

"Thanks, Jose," Joss replied cheerfully. "He's just going through a tough time right now."

The officer nodded. "So you said. Just keep him away from the Senator."

"Will do. Thanks again." Joss laid a hand on Wesley's arm and dragged him out of the precinct.

"Savages," Wesley muttered with a pointed look at the two taser burns marring his expensive shirt..

"Says the guy who locked me in a cage,"** Joss snapped. "Get in the damn car."

Wesley got in without further comment. Joss took the wheel and turned the car in the direction of his hotel.

"How did you know about the Senator?" Joss asked. "Did you bug this car too? Am I going to find a tracking device under my front bumper again?"

"Rear bumper, actually," Wesley replied without a trace of contrition.

"What were you trying to do anyway?" Joss asked.

Wesley sighed. "The Senator was the only lead I had."

At the next stoplight, Joss turned her full glare on Wesley. "We have him under surveillance. Who do you think called the cops?"

"That was YOU?" Wesley snarled.

"It was our IT guy, actually," Joss replied sweetly. "He saw you breaking in. Now stay out of our way."

"Or what? You'll punch me again?"

"I'm thinking about it."

Wesley was silent for a while. "I'm a man of action, Detective. I can't sit around and wait."

"I do know how you feel," Joss replied quietly. "Those hours between the time Taylor was taken and the time John called to tell him he was safe were some of the longest of my life. It was even worse than the night the base in Iraq was shelled by Al Qaida."

Wesley looked over at her. "I'd forgotten you served. Interrogator, as I recall."

Joss nodded. "Yes."

"How did you do it? How did you wait?"

"Well, I was under siege at the time, protecting the old Mafia dons from Elias, so I was busy," Joss said.

"Ah yes. I heard about that last time I was in New York, you were trying to prevent a mafia war," Wesley said.

Joss nodded again. "I didn't want any innocent people killed."

"Would you really have sacrificed your son?" Wesley asked.

The corners of Joss's mouth quirked up. "I knew I wouldn't have to. John promised me he would get Taylor back, and John always keeps his promises."

"So, you're going to tell me that I should just trust in your husband and sit tight."

"Yes, because if you don't, I'll arrest your ass. I don't have time to babysit you if we're going to find your daughter."

Wesley remained quiet for the rest for the ride to his hotel. With a rather churlish, "Good day," he got out of the car and walked into the hotel without a backwards glance. Joss shook her head and nosed her car out into traffic, intending to return to the precinct. She had only gone a few blocks when her phone beeped. Seeing it was Wesley, she answered it with a sigh, "Yes?"

"Detective, there was a package waiting for me in my room, I think you need to see this," Wesley responded.

Joss flipped a U-turn. "On my way." She hung up from Wesley and called John. "Meet me at Wesley's hotel room."

A few minutes later Joss was knocking on Wesley's door. Wesley opened the door, looking much more tired than he had just a few minutes before.

Wesley's room was actually a suite consisting of a well-appointed sitting room and a separate bedroom. The sitting room had a large TV mounted on the wall, couches and chairs arranged for easy TV viewing or conversation, a mini bar, a dining nook, and a desk by the window overlooking the city skyline. Wesley waved Joss toward a package sitting on the desk and then sat down on one of the couches.

The package had been wrapped in plain brown paper that was readily available in every stationary store, post office, or shipping company in the city. True to his training, Wesley had opened it by slitting the tape that held the wrapping together, preserving the wrapping. The box itself was the kind of box that normally would hold a gift of a bracelet or some other kind of jewelry. Today it held another human finger, this time a ring finger with a ring on it.

"Do you recognize the ring?" Joss asked the quiet man on the couch. She had a feeling she already knew the answer.

Wesley nodded. "It's Theresa's."

* * *

****Wesley held Joss hostage in a cage in my previous story Diamonds Are Not A Girl's Best Friend.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It didn't take long for John and Shaw to arrive at Wesley's hotel suite. By then, the security cameras in the hotel hallway had already told Finch that the package had been delivered by one of the hotel maids using her passkey. John went off to interview her, while Shaw examined the finger.

"It's most likely not Theresa's," She announced after just a few minutes. "Probably from the same person who donated the pinkie finger. This finger's been kept in a freezer, it's definitely not fresh."

"But, that is Theresa's ring!" Wesley protested.

Shaw shrugged. "They probably just took it off her and put in on the stiff. I'll have the lab run a DNA test to be sure, but if the results come back and say it's your kid, I'll swear off doughnuts forever." Shaw bagged the finger and left.

"That means she's certain it not Theresa's finger," Joss explained to a perplexed Wesley.

Wesley looked at the door Shaw had just exited and shook his head. "How did that woman ever become one of America's best anti-terrorist operatives?"

"They kept her well-fed," Joss dead-panned.

Wesley shot her a look that plainly conveyed that he thought the whole crew was insane. "John Reese has been an influence on you, I see," he commented dryly.

John returned just then. "The maid says that she was paid to deliver the package by an Asian man this morning while she was taking a smoke break by the loading dock," John said. "IT is looking through camera footage to see if he can find him."

John's phone beeped and he pulled it out of his pocket. Wesley and Joss watched over his shoulder as the phone played video of the Asian man of average height approaching the hotel maid. They spoke for a minute, then he handed her a package and walked away. Then Finch zoomed in on the man's face.

"Recognize him?" John asked. "Elias's man told Joss and Fusco that the person who hired the men who took your daughter was from Hong Kong."

Wesley shook his head. "I only operated once in Hong Kong, and that nearly two decades ago. This man is far too young to have known me back then."

John nodded. "He looks like he's close to Theresa's age. " He returned his phone to his pocket. "We'll see if our IT guy can identify him. What did you do in Hong Kong, if I may ask?"

"All I can say was that I was still with MI6 at the time. I was part of a team that took out a particularly nasty Triad."

Joss and John took their leave of Wesley and drove over to the library. Finch greeted them with a glare. "Must you constantly refer to me as your 'IT guy'? It sounds like I have a mere associate's degree."

"Sorry, Finch," John replied, trying not to grin. "Just don't want Wesley to know about you."

Finch sniffed distastefully. "Well the _IT guy_ is running facial recognition software, but it may take a while. I suggest you find other things to do in the meanwhile."

"Thank you, Harold," Joss replied gently. "Thank you for everything you do." She dragged John away with her to give the billionaire some space. "I have to get back to work, you should probably let Harold have some peace and quiet."

John nodded. Sometimes he wasn't the most sensitive of men, but he's been around Finch long enough to know when it was time to give him a break. "Taylor will be done with practice soon, I think I'll go pick him up."

Joss kissed him., "Good idea. I'll see my men at dinner."

* * *

An hour later, Joss and Fusco were standing over the body of a young, blonde woman missing a couple of fingers from her left hand.

"Well shit, I guess we better tell the White Wanker we found the source of the fingers," Fusco grumbled.

Joss shook her head. "Nothing about this case makes sense. Why kill this woman and cut off her fingers when they had Theresa?"

Fusco shrugged. "Maybe they didn't want to piss off Wesley? Maybe they thought if they returned her intact, Wesley might not come for them once he got his kid back? The Machine never gave us her number. that tells me they didn't want to hurt her."

"But they were willing to kill this innocent girl?" Joss toyed with the earring in her left ear as she thought. "This just doesn't make sense!"

"Hey Carter," called one of the uniforms manning the perimeter of the crime scene. "Someone wants to talk to you."

Joss and Lionel looked over to see a grim-looking Root and Shaw standing at the yellow tape. Carter waved them over. They walked over and looked down at the body.

Joss looked at the way the two were staring at the dead girl. "Let me guess, this is the runaway you've been looking for?"

Root nodded, her eyes sad. "Her name was Madison Crowley, from Plano, Texas. The Machine is sending you the contact information for her parents now."

Joss and Fusco's phones both dinged at the same time and they each had text messages with an address in Plano with a phone number with a Texas area code. Joss replied with a "Thank You." The Machine replied with a "YW."

"She was last seen getting in a black SUV of the same make and model that was used to snatch Theresa Sheppard about the same time we got her number," Shaw reported. "Poor kid was destined to be used for spare parts."

"Murdered a girl for a few fingers so they could scare Theresa's old man. That's a pretty epic level of ruthlessness," Fusco observed.

"And yet this ruthless person means no harm to Theresa or we would have her number." Joss rubbed her temples.

"This case is really pissing me off,' Fusco grumbled. "You don't think Wesley is yanking our chain do you? Maybe he made all this kidnapping stuff up and that's why we don't have Theresa's number? Maybe he killed this poor kid?"

"As a distraction from something else?" Shaw asked. She paused. "Possible,; he's ruthless enough to do this."

Joss shook her head. "I don't think he's acting. I think he's genuinely scared for his daughter's life."

"Could there be something wrong with the machine?" Fusco asked.

"She doesn't make mistakes," Root replied testily.

"So we're back to where we started- nowhere," Fusco sighed.

* * *

When Joss arrived home just in time for dinner, Taylor was frying fish under John's watchful eye. "You have to watch fish carefully, it's a fine line between properly cooked and overcooked," John was instructing the teen. "Ok, turn them now, carefully."

Joss had to stifle a laugh as Taylor, frowning in concentration, carefully flipped the fillets and was rewarded with a nod of satisfaction from his step-father. Taylor grinned in triumph.

Taylor proudly served the meal he had cooked shortly after. "This is delicious!" Joss said as she wolfed down the fish covered in a lemon caper sauce.

"John says cooking is one of the best ways to impress girls," Taylor said with a grin.

"Well, you impressed this girl," Joss replied. "The fish is perfectly done. But I'm guessing I'm not the girl you're trying to impress."

Taylor groaned and rolled his eyes, while John smirked. "Told you she would figure it out."

Joss looked smug. "There's still several fillets and a bag of lemons in the fridge, so I figured you wanted to practice cooking this meal a few times. That can only mean one thing."

"I just love having a detective for a mom," Taylor sighed in a tone of voice that plainly said he really didn't. "OK before I get the third degree, her name is Carrie Patten. She's in my English class, and yes, she's smart. She's another scholarship student."

"Is she the girl with the braids you were talking to when I picked you up last Friday?"

"Yup, that's her."

"She's cute, too," Joss smiled.

Taylor blushed a bit. "She was telling me how she misses her grandma's cooking, especially her fried fillet of sole. When John told me it wasn't hard to fix, I asked him to teach me."

Joss mopped up some more sauce with the last bite of her fish. "I see. When is she coming over for dinner?"

"Is Sunday OK?" Taylor asked eagerly.

"It should be," Joss replied with a smile.

"Dope," Taylor grinned. "I have a few days to practice!"

John saluted Joss with his fork. "Hope you like fish!"

* * *

"Taylor is turning into a real Iron Chef in the kitchen," Joss said later that night as she and John got ready for bed.

John smiled fondly. "You can tell he's Alice Johnson's grandson."

"Well, between you and my mom, he's got some good teachers." Joss crawled under the covers and snuggled up to John's side. "Who knew John Reese could be so domestic?"

John wrapped his arm around her. "I like being domestic," he said softly.

Joss knew what he meant. He had never thought he could have a family. Since he had become a member of their family, he had thrown himself into the day to day trivialities of domestic life, determined not to waste his chance. He took considerable joy in even the most mundane of things that "normal" people took for granted. Watching him happily settle his new role as a family man had even given Joss a newfound appreciation for the domestic side of life.

"You are the most domestic man I know," Joss said. "It's pretty sexy. Forget the guns, motorcycles, and leather jackets, a well-cooked filet of fish out-does them all.

John chuckled. "I'll even do the dishes tomorrow morning before I leave."

"Oooooooh, talk dirty to me!" Joss giggled as she straddled him.

"Vacuuming..," John purred as his hands slid up under her shirt to play with her breasts.

Joss laughed and pulled her top off, giving John better access. John obliged her by kneading her breasts while rubbing his thumbs over her tight, dark nipples. Joss groaned, she loved this and John knew it. She reached down to pull up his shirt and he helped her by briefly breaking contact so she could pull it up over his head. His shirt then joined hers on the floor by the bed.

"Dusting," John whispered to her and she threw back her head and laughed. He loved the sound of her laugh. It was what joy sounded like. She lightly dragged her nails across his chest and pinched his nipples. John closed his eye and shivered at the sensation.

He pulled her down for a long, slow kiss while his hands roamed up and down her back. He moved his attention to her ear whispering, "Mopping." Joss laughed again then gasped as he bit down lightly on her ear lobe. John smiled in satisfaction as she reacted just the way he thought she would.

Joss raked her nails through his hair. She loved his hair, he kept it short but it was still thick and the salt and pepper color was sexy as hell. He smiled at her, his blue eyes sparkling. She nearly melted into a steaming pile of need right there. She held his head so she could kiss him again.

The intensity of the kiss deepened as John's hands wandered down her body to grip her rear. He had never been much of a butt man until he got together with Joss; he had to admit her delicious backside had made him a convert. He squeezed, digging his fingers into her flesh, causing Joss to wiggle in his lap. He groaned and she giggled and did it again. She reached down to touch his engorged cock. Gently, she began stroking and was rewarded with a low moan from her lover.

Before Joss knew it, John had flipped her on her back and was on top of her, kissing her with an intensity that took her breath away. His hand found her clitoris and began toying with her. Joss made mewling sounds of pure pleasure. John moved so that Joss could lno onger reach his cock - he didn't want to come too quickly - and then nipped his way down her jaw, to her neck, and then down to her collarbone, leaving a series of tiny red marks, all the while continuing to massage her clit. By the time he had reached her nipple, she was whimpering.

"I'm going to cum," she gasped, arching her back.

"Cum, love," John replied, then he lightly bit her nipple.

Joss cried out as she came, her hips bucking. John happily watched her come; she was so beautiful.

She came down off her high and smiled at him. "I want you inside of me," she whispered.

He was more than happy to oblige. He lined his cock up with her entrance and slowly entered her. They began to move together, slowly at first then picking up speed as they got closer to the edge. John came first, burying his face in Joss's shoulder with a cry. Joss followed him very quickly, groaning out his name.

John collapsed next to her on the bed. He pulled her into his arms and lightly kissed her forehead. She sleepily smiled up at him. "Love you," she purred.

"Love you ,too," he whispered back.

It was only a couple of minutes before John heard her breathing even out and deepen as she drifted off to sleep. He gave himself a few minutes to admire her in her sleep. There was a tiny smile on her face and John wondered what she was dreaming of. Then he too drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

A tired-looking Finch greeted John and Shaw the next morning. "You look like hell," John said with some concern as he handed the older man his Sencha green tea. "Did you sleep at all?"

Finch waved away John's concerns. "I'll sleep later."

John looked over at Shaw and they shared a nod over Finch's head.

"And don't even THINK of having Ms. Shaw slip me a sedative when I'm not looking," Finch snapped.

John and Shaw frowned.

"The good news is that I had a very productive evening,," Finch grabbed a picture out of the printer and hung it on the wall of glass just under Theresa's picture. "The man who delivered the finger to Mr. Wesley's' hotel is Edward Yu. Native of Hong Kong, but he came to this country a year ago on what is now an expired tourist visa. Current whereabouts unknown."

"Elias's murdered men were doing a side job for a guy from Hong Kong," John said.

"And he shows up a year ago, right before Theresa dropped out of school and started blackmailing her way through the upper echelons of New York society," Shaw mused.

"Indeed, Ms. Shaw. I doubt that is a coincidence. But there is more,; Mr. Yu has a rather extensive police record in Hong Kong for one as young as he is. He is the scion of a well-known crime family, one that was a founding family of the most notorious Triads, known as the Shadowmen."

"I don't suppose that would be the same Triad that Wesley helped take down twenty years ago?" John asked.

"From what I have been able to gather from the Hong Kong Organized Crime and Triad Bureau files, you are correct, Mr. Reese. Just before Hong Kong was returned to China, the Shadowmen suffered a devastating blow when its headquarters was destroyed in a mysterious bombing, killing nearly all the senior members. Mr. Yu lost his father, grandfather, and two uncles that night."

"Yu wants revenge. Wesley killed his family, now he's coming for Wesley's," Shaw stated flatly.

"Then why didn't the machine give us Theresa's number?" John snapped. "Why send Wesley someone else's fingers? Why kidnap her, why not kill her outright?"

Finch shook his head. "All valid questions, Mr. Reese. Questions we have no answers for."

With a growl of frustration, John snatched the picture of Edward Yu off the pane of glass and strode towards the exit.

"Where are you going, Mr. Reese?" Finch called after him.

"To find some answers," Reese snapped back. "I'll be in touch."

"Of course," Finch sighed. He took his seat in front of his monitors and began typing. "Now Mr. Yu, where are you?"

* * *

Reese knocked on Wesley's hotel room door. Wesley opened the door, saw who it was, and then stepped back, allowing John to enter. "Did you find something?" he asked wearily.

John looked Wesley over. He still wore an expensive Savile Row shirt and pants but there were dark circles under his eyes and his normally immaculate hair was mussed.

John handed over the picture of Yu and waited for a reaction. Wesley studied it for a minute. "Is this the same man who paid the maid to leave me the last finger? He looks vaguely familiar, but I can't quite place him."

"You blew up his family two decades ago in Hong Kong."

Wesley nodded. "Ah, he's a Yu. I see the family resemblance. No wonder he looked familiar."

"Yes, and according to Hong Kong police, the apple doesn't far from the tree."

"Do you think he knows I was part of the operation to kill his family?"

"That's our working theory. What can you tell me about the Shadowmen?"

Wesley took a seat in an armchair while John sat on the couch across from him. John noted the scotch at Wesley's elbow that was about half gone and it was only nine in the morning.

"I suppose there's no point in keeping it a secret any longer, you already know the basics. The Shadowmen were the most vicious of the Hong Kong Triads. Life was cheap and they demanded absolute loyalty. Drug running, arms dealing, human trafficking, you name the illicit activity and they were deep in it."

John cocked his head to one side. "That sounds pretty typical for a Triad. Why did you blow them up?"

"They murdered a British diplomat and his family over a perceived insult." Wesley sipped his drink. "Apparently, our man refused the family patriarch an invitation to an official reception with the visiting prime minister because of his well-known criminal activity, so the old man ordered the diplomat's family burned to death. We believe old Mr. Yu was suffering from the first stages of senile dementia, but no one in his organization dared to defy him lest they be next.

"They set fire to the apartment building where the diplomat and his family were living and shot anyone who tried to escape. They also shot at first responders, injuring a fireman, to prevent them from saving anyone. Everyone in the building at the time of the fire was killed. The diplomat's family, including an infant, all died. Three other families were also killed, along with the building manager."

"Of course, the British government couldn't let that go unpunished," John said.

Wesley took another sip and swirled the amber liquid around the glass. "Command decided that we needed to send a strong message before we turned Hong Kong over to the Chinese. So, we did. Unlike those animals, we didn't kill a single innocent person, but we destroyed their entire command structure.

"I suppose Yu wants revenge for my part in destroying his family," Wesley sighed.

"What was your part exactly?"

"I was in command of the operation," Wesley replied. "The decision to use a bomb was mine, it was detonated on my command. From start to finish, I had full responsibility. My first time as a commander of a field operation. Had it gone pear shaped, I would have been demoted and left to rot at a desk job."

"But, it didn't fail," John stated.

Another sip, another swirl. "No. It was aces. I got a letter of commendation in my personnel file." He smiled. "It led to bigger and better assignments. It was the start of building my reputation in this business."

John watched the man in front of him, briefly wondering how he could go from operations where he destroyed a criminal organization without a single civilian casualty to a callous murderer who was no better than the men he had blown up that night. Wesley looked like he might be thinking the same thing.

"Mr. Reese?" Finch's voice interrupted John's reverie.

Reese tapped his earpiece. "Go ahead."

"Well, at least you didn't call me the 'IT guy' this time," Finch huffed. "I have a list of addresses that are possibly associated with Yu or the Shadowmen for you check out. Texting you the list now."

"OK, have Shaw meet me at the first address."

"I'm sorry, John, but we have a number. Since the Machine has not seen fit to give us Theresa Sheppard's number, I felt it prudent to send Ms. Shaw and Ms. Groves off to investigate the number we do have."

John sighed. "I understand." Then he hung up.

Reese looked at his phone. Several addresses with a possible connection to their suspect or the Triad popped up in his text messages. He stood up to go when he saw the look of utter defeat on Wesley's face. He paused. Then he sighed, he knew he was going to regret this, but he could use the help. "Come on."

Wesley looked hopeful for the first time that week. He stood and grabbed his suit coat off the chair next to him. He carefully smoothed his hair back into place. "Let's go."

* * *

John approached the third address on his list with Wesley in tow. The first couple of addresses had turned out to be dead ends. John didn't have a lot of hope for this one either, but he had no other leads and they were running out of time.

Still, John could not help but wonder about the Machine. They had less than forty-eight hours before the deadline was up, which placed them within the Machine's normal window for notifying them of a new number, but it continued to remain silent. He knew the Machine was working, Shaw and Root were off working the number that had come in that morning, but John was beginning to wonder if the Machine missed things, missed people who could have been saved. It was frustrating…

John's put his frustrations aside as they approached the address, a nondescript storefront in a blighted area. John and Wesley ducked into an alley across the street, hiding in the shadows as they observed the building. During the next hour, several shady looking characters entered the place and several more left.

"Rather lively for an establishment that looks abandoned," Wesley remarked. "Illegal gambling perhaps?"

John nodded. "That would be my guess."

"Shall we knock, then?"

John grinned. "Let's."

* * *

The front door of the storefront blew in with a roar and two tall, well-dressed men stepped through the smoke and debris. "You carry C4 in your car boot? How convenient," Wesley commented.

"C4 solves a lot of problems," John replied cheerfully. He flicked open the button on his coat and decked the man charging him with a knife.

Wesley also unbuttoned his coat and took out another man charging them from the other side with a well-aimed kick to the stomach. The two men calmly fought their way across the building, leaving a trail of broken bodies in their wake, until they reached a locked door that they assumed was the office.

"That was invigorating," Wesley remarked as he looked at the men laying on the floor either unconscious or groaning in pain. He tried the door and found it locked. "You didn't bring any more of the C4, did you?"

John whipped out his gun and shot the lock.

"Crude, but effective," Wesley remarked as he pushed open the door.

"We don't have a lot of time," John said as he grabbed the man cowering behind the desk. "Where's Eddie Yu?"

* * *

Detective Bill Szymansky walked into the bull pen and made a beeline for Joss. He perched on the corner of her desk, ready to burst with the news he had just heard. "Did you hear the Man in a Suit has a partner now?"

Joss kept her face impassive. "Oh?" Inside she was swearing in both English and Persian. Shaw had taught her some very colorful phrases in the language of her father and Joss was making full use of them.

"Yup," Szymansky replied gleefully. "_Two_ guys wearing suits blew up an illegal gambling operation down by the docks. Beat the crap out of several guards and vanished before the boys from the 55th could get there."

Joss glanced over at Fusco to see that he'd taken his glasses off and was running his hand over face. He did that a lot when there was a new report of John's exploits. A bottle of Tums would probably be making an appearance soon as well.

"That sounds like him," Joss replied with a weak smile. "Good thing he's the FBI's problem now, huh?"

Szymansky snorted. "Yeah, no wonder Donnelly's more than half crazy. He's going to stroke out before he hits retirement age. Agent Ross told me his face got all red when he heard about the new guy."

Joss forced herself to giggle as Szymansky expected. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Fusco pull his extra-large, Costco special bottle of Tums out of his desk drawer. She couldn't help but notice that it was almost empty.

Szymansky changed the subject. "Hey, you and John want to come over for dinner Saturday? Steph's been asking when we can get together again."

Joss frowned. "I think John might be working this weekend, How about next weekend?"

Szymansky stood up. "I think that works. I'll have Steph call you next week."

"Looking forward to it!" Joss chirped, but as soon as he left she buried her face in her hands.

"Two men in suits? Tall, Dark, and Scary is now working with Tall, Blond, and Scary? You don't really think John would let Wesley….?" Fusco growled.

Joss sighed. "Unless one of the Sams has had a sex change, he must have."

* * *

**Hope everyone enjoyed the Wesley/John team up! I had a blast writing it.**

**Only one more chapter to go!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Last chapter! **

* * *

**Chapter 7**

John and Wesley were standing across the street from another address on Finch's list when a call came in from Finch. "Mr. Reese, Theresa's Fitbit has been turned on."

"Can you track it?" John asked.

"Yes, sending you the address where the device is currently located now."

"On our way. Have Joss and Fusco met us there, but be sure they're about ten minutes behind us. We have some work to do before they show up."

The address turned out to be a boxy concrete tilt-up in an industrial part of Brooklyn, on a dead-end street with cracked asphalt and weed-covered lots. The entire block looked abandoned except for the fact that there were several cars parked in front of the building.

"Cheerful little hovel," Wesley remarked, his voice casual. But John could see the tension in the way other man carried himself.

John looked around, quickly spotting a couple of cameras at the entrance to the property. "They know we're coming."

"That just makes it more sporting," Wesley replied. "You're not out of C4 are you?"

"Never," John said. "Shall we gear up? We only have about ten minutes before Joss and Fusco show up and things get legal." He tapped his earpiece. "IT, are you there?"

"Yes. Mr. Reese," Finch answered with a sigh. "The building has several cameras inside. The first floor is all warehouse space. I don't see Theresa, but there are at least five armed men waiting for you. The second floor only has one camera, and it only shows a hallway with four doors. I'm guessing Theresa is behind one of those doors."

"Any cell activity? I don't want them calling for reinforcements."

"No, I took the cell towers that service that area offline. You will only have to deal with the men currently inside."

* * *

The men inside were prepared for a gunfight with the strangers that had entered the parking lot of the building, they were not prepared for an explosion. The two men who had stationed themselves by the door were immediately dispatched by the force of the blast. The remaining men were momentarily stunned, allowing John and Wesley to enter through the ragged hole in the wall where the door used to be with guns blazing.

Wesley took up a position behind one of the few intact crates near the door, laying down cover fire with an AK-47, which allowed John to sneak around the side and come up behind the remaining men. A few well-placed shots to knees and it was all over in a matter of minutes. Neither John nor Wesley were even breathing hard.

Cautiously, they made their way across the warehouse to the stairs, but encountered no further resistance. John took point and crept up the stairs, hugging the wall without making a sound. The hallway was clear so he waved Wesley to come up.

The first door was unlocked but the room was empty. The second door was locked, but a single shot from John's Glock opened it. They found a money counting operation with stacks of bills on a long table, looking like it had been hastily abandoned. No doubt the men downstairs had benn working in here and dropped everything when the security system had alerted them to John and Wesley's presence.

As they tried the door to the third room, they heard a noise coming from within. John and Wesley's eyes met, and they nodded to each other. One swift kick and the door flew open.

The room was a plush office that seemed out of place in the scruffy building. Thick carpeting covered the floor, and a massive black desk dominated the room.

"Hi Daddy."

Edward Yu and Theresa Sheppard had stationed themselves shoulder to shoulder in front of the desk, holding guns pointed at them. John's worst fears about this case were confirmed. This is why the Machine had never given them Theresa's number, _she wasn't a victim_.

John or Wesley could have easily picked them off. They were perfectly positioned for two quick clean shots that expert marksmen like the two ex-operatives were capable of without even thinking about it. John held back out of respect for Wesley, because he needed to see the truth.

John wasn't sure what he expected to happen when Wesley finally saw his daughter; he knew his British counterpart would be devastated to be confronted with proof that he had been played by his own flesh and blood. Theresa was a participant in at least three murders and Finch was still counting the number of men she had seduced and blackmailed. He had no doubt that Wesley had done everything he could to shield his family from the life of a mercenary to prevent this very thing. It had gone wrong somehow, and Wesley was about to be confronted with his greatest failure.

It was worse than John could have ever imagined. The look on Wesley's face as his own daughter held a gun on him broke John's heart. He knew Wesley was a monster, but in that moment, he was a father who had lost his daughter in one of the ugliest ways possible.

Wesley stared at his child. "Why?" he whispered.

"Eddie told me about how you killed his family. He told me all about your work for MI6 and afterwards. He told me everything! He showed up one day with an entire flash drive full of your crimes. He had names and dates. He had all the proof that my supposed 'international businessman' father was nothing more than a criminal.

"My whole fucking life was lie, _Daddy!_" Theresa spat the last word like it was an expletive. "All my life you and Mummy told us we had the perfect family, but all this time you were out there killing, kidnapping, and stealing. Everything you told me was a _lie_."

"You blackmailed all those men and killed three people because I never told you I was a spy and a mercenary?" Wesley was incredulous.

Theresa laughed. "At first I did it because I was mad at you, then I discovered I LIKE it! I have a long ways to go before I catch up to your body count, but I found I have a knack for it. Must be genetic."

Eddie Yu looked smug. "She pulled the trigger herself on the girl."

"You never told me how intoxicating it is to hold someone's life in your hands, Daddy," Theresa smirked. "You never told me what a rush it was to take a life. I'm my father's daughter."

"I never killed for sport," Wesley shot back.

"Oh no," Theresa replied sarcastically, "You just killed for money. That's sooooooo much better."

John shuddered at that cold, hard expression on Theresa's face. He had often been glad that his parents had died long before their son had turned into a monster, but Wesley was watching his own child turn into a monster before his eyes. What made it even worse, Theresa was _enjoying_ it. John had only seen that once before, with Kara Stanton.

"Well, Daddy, it's been good seeing you, but Eddie and I have a plane to catch," Theresa said.

John and Wesley both moved at that instant, just as Theresa and Eddie fired. They dropped and rolled, both coming up on their knees with weapons raised. Eddie and Theresa ran through the now clear doorway, but neither John nor Wesley fired their weapons even though they could have easily taken down the young couple. John didn't shoot because he knew what was waiting for them beyond the door. As for why Wesley didn't pull his trigger, he liked to think that Wesley didn't fire because he couldn't shoot his own kid.

Wesley watched his daughter go with a tear rolling down his cheek.

"FREEZE! Get down on the ground!" Joss's voice came through the open door.

Wesley looked at John. "They're arresting her?"

John shrugged. "She just confessed to murder and blackmail. They heard the whole thing."

"I suppose the good detectives could not let that pass," Wesley suddenly sounded weary and far older than his age as he stood up.

"Nope," John said as he walked to the door and looked out. Joss had Theresa on the ground, cuffing her hands behind her back. Fusco and Laskey were doing the same to Yu.

Joss yanked Theresa to her feet. The girl looked over at her father looking confused and lost. Wesley met her eyes but his expression did not change. His face remained hard and cold.

Joss looked at her beloved and gave him a small nod. John gave her a thin smile and then turned to go. Wesley followed. Neither said a word as they walked down the stairs, and out a back door to John's car.

"What happens next?" Wesley asked as they climbed into John's car.

John started the car and drove out of the parking lot. "Joss and Lionel will book them and interrogate them. Bad news for Theresa, Joss is _very_ good."

"She was an Army interrogator," Wesley said flatly. "I've seen her military file. Theresa and Yu don't stand a chance."

John nodded. "Plus we have a recording of their confessions. Their defense attorneys will probably try to cut deals, but given the evidence we have, they won't be able to get very good ones. They're fortunate that New York abolished the death penalty."

Wesley shifted uncomfortably in his seat at the mention of the death penalty. John ignored it.

"Drop me at the hotel, if you don't mind," Wesley said. "I think it's time I went home." He swallowed. "I have to come up with a story to tell my wife and my other daughter."

"After a lifetime of lies that shouldn't be too much of a problem," John remarked.

Wesley glared at John. "I believe this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black," he retorted icily.

"The only lie I tell Joss is where I hid the Christmas presents," John replied.

Wesley blinked. "You told her about _Istanbul_?"

"She wasn't happy about it, but she understood."

Wesley shook his head. "You tell her _everything_?"

John nodded. "If I don't she finds out anyway. She _is_ a detective." He paused. "The smartest thing I ever did was marry a woman who could handle the truth."

Neither man spoke until John pulled up to the hotel. As Wesley reached for the door handle, John spoke. "Don't even think of breaking Theresa out of jail."

"No, not for a few years at least. She needs to learn a lesson." Then Wesley got out of the car. The last John saw of him, he walked into the front door of the hotel and didn't look back.

* * *

It was a long day for Joss and Fusco after making the bust. There were the usual reports to write - without mentioning the contribution of Team Machine - and they had to fend off Yu's lawyers. The latter was much easier than the former thanks to the fact they had had Yu and Theresa on tape confessing to blackmail and murder in the first degree. The lawyers even tried to call in Zoe Morgan's help, but Zoe only laughed and hung up when she heard who the defendants were. It looked like Theresa and Yu were going to stay in jail for a very long time.

It was several hours before they had the case tied up in a neat bow, but once they were done, Joss went looking for her husband. She had some questions for him.

Joss found John on the roof of their apartment building. He was leaning with his forearms on the railing watching the people scurrying by below. Joss smiled and walked over. She leaned her back against the railing as she studied the pensive expression on her husband's face.

"You knew," she said. "You knew that Theresa had been turned."

John's eyes flicked over to her then away. "I suspected, yes. I kept coming back to the fact we never got her number but we got the runaway's. Once we discovered Yu arrived in New York just as Theresa started her life of crime, it was the only explanation.

"If I wanted revenge on someone like Wesley, or me, I would go after their family. Wesley went through a lot of trouble to hide the truth, to keep them safe, and he failed. For men like us, destroying our anchor to the world is the worst thing you can do."

Joss laid a hand on John's arm.

"Do you think Taylor will ever hate me?" John asked softly.

Joss's response was swift. "No."

John stood up straight and turned to face her. "How can you be so sure? I'm no better than Wesley."

"John, Taylor started out life as an Army brat and then transitioned into a cop's kid. He has known what you are since you saved him from Elias. He accepted you into our lives with his eyes wide open." She paused. "And, for the record, you _are_ better than Wesley. Whatever you may have done in your previous life, you use your skills to help people. You're a good man, even if you did lose your way for a while."

John looked unconvinced. "I have a lot of ghosts that could come back to haunt me. One of them could show up at any moment. Do you really think that if one of them got a hold of Taylor like Eddie Yu did Theresa, he wouldn't hate me?"

Joss looked him straight in the eye. "Yes. He knows that skills like yours are developed for very specific purposes. He's accepted it."

"I hope you're right," John murmured softly. "I can survive just about anything, except losing your or Taylor's love."

"You've never lied to him like Wesley did to Theresa. She had her entire world blown up by Yu. She wasn't ready for the truth. Taylor already knows the truth."

She grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the door. "Now move it soldier, we have a basketball game to get to."

John smiled and let her lead him off the roof.

* * *

**So did you guess that Theresa was working with Yu?**

**Thank you for reading! Special shout out to all of you who left me a review, reviews are LIFE for us writers! Thanks to the guest reviewers, I cannot thank you in a message, but I want you to know how much I appreciate you taking the time to leave me a note.**

**Also need to shout out to the members of the Careese page and the Mi Amore ladies on Facebook. They keep me going! And once again, special thanks to wolfmusic212 for her mad beta skillz. She was a huge help, as usual.**


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